A Vampire's Word
by Love In Vein
Summary: Lost Boys fic. The sequel to David’s Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life? note: Wicked old story that's been here since before LB had its own section!
1. Prologue / Part One

Title: A Vampire's Word  
Author: ImhotepsGoddess  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. I still own Annabelle, and now I own Sela and Alex, too! Beat that!  
  
David's Revenge mini-recap: David didn't die and sought revenge on all of the "good guys" in the movie. He met the spirit of a vampire named Annabelle and brought her back to life using Star's body as a vessel. They became mates. All of the major characters except Lucy, Grandpa, & Laddie (and Nanook) were killed. The Lost Boys were brought back to life. (Sela's new, I haven't done a story about how she was brought into the Pack yet.)  
  
  
Prologue   
  
Ten years ago the Pack had promised Laddie that he would always be welcome among them. That one day they would come for him and he would take his rightful place beside them. Five years ago the Pack had left and Laddie cried. Imagine a boy of 15, sobbing pitifully into his bedclothes. Paul had come that night, for Paul was always closest to Laddie. He had told him that the Pack needed to leave for awhile, that packs often split up for a year or two to experience solitude. Not even David and Annabelle or Dwayne and Sela were staying together and they were mates.  
  
With each word Laddie seemed to turn in on himself, tears filling his eyes. He begged Paul to make them change their minds. Not to break their promise. Paul told him that they would never break their promise, that if no one else *he* would come back for him. But as happy as Laddie was to hear that, he still wanted all of the Pack to welcome him into the family.  
  
That night Laddie cried himself to sleep and he didn't leave his room for days, barely speaking to Lucy who he called "Mom," or Grandpa. He was never the same again.  
  
  
  
Part 1 -- 1996   
  
Laddie, now a young man of twenty, sighed bitterly and ran a hand through his shoulder length, light brown hair. He had changed a lot since that night so long ago. He was no longer the happy bubbly boy he had been. Multiple silver hoops hung from both ears and a small thick hoop pierced one nostril. He had taken to wearing mostly black; to match how he felt inside sometimes, he said. Black leather, spiked cuffs circled his wrists and a large, silver ankh hung from a leather cord around his neck.  
  
He leaned on the counter at the video store and started into the night. But it was night at the Santa Carla Boardwalk, which meant that the bright lights and crowds that still flocked there every summer almost made it seem like day. He could never bring himself to leave Santa Carla. Lucy tried to push him to go to college but he had refused. So she put him to work here. Yes, the video store was still there, where it always was except it had been Emerson's Video Place since 1986, soon after Max died. And since there were no other rental stores in Santa Carla, people still came.  
  
Five years, Laddie thought sadly, five years since they left me here all alone. He always quietly hoped that the next time the door opened the Pack would come swaggering in. That he would hear their motorcycles gunning down the street. He had a motorcycle too, now. He wanted so badly to ride with them, just once.   
  
Laddie heard the bell on the door clang and his head snapped up. He lowered his head in disappointment when he saw it was only his best friend, Alex. "Please, Laddie, at least *try* to look happy to see me," he said jokingly.  
  
"Sorry Alex, I don't know when I'm gonna stop hoping....," he trailed off, a hint of sadness in his dark eyes.  
  
"That those mysterious friends of yours are gonna make their big appearance?" Alex finished, strolling over to the new release section and picking up a box, scanning the summary on the back cover.  
  
"Dude, when are they gonna stop makin' these "Children of the Corn" sequels?" he mused to no one in particular.  
  
"Yeah, pretty much," said Laddie, ignoring the second question, "It feels like I've been watching that door forever. I don't know if I'll even want to see 'em now."  
  
"Well, I wouldn't," Alex said, his light blue eyes becoming serious. He put the tape back and slid on a stool behind the counter, "If my "friends" just left me cold out-of-the-blue one day, I don't think I'd welcome 'em back with open arms."  
  
"That's just it Alex, they're more like family to me than friends." Laddie tried to explain.  
  
Alex crossed his arms over his well-worn Nirvana (the band) t-shirt and shook his head, his black ponytail swinging back and forth. "Friends, family, whatever. You just don't *do* that. Hey, *especially* if you're supposed to be family."   
  
Laddie looked down at a scratch on the counter and rubbed his finger across it absently. Was Alex right? If it happened that the Pack came back, what *would* he do? Nothing made sense anymore.  
  
"Hey, sorry to interrupt your immensely exciting brood session, but I gotta go," Alex said, jumping off the stool and heading out the door.  
  
"Alex!" Laddie called, making him turn and stop at the door, "Umm...thanks for the advice, man."  
  
"No prob. Anything for my best bud," Alex replied, grinning widely.  
  
---------------------------  
  
With the video store quiet again, Laddie decided to reorganize the horror section, just to get his mind off of things. At the letter "U" he was finally feeling relaxed again. Then he saw the next title: "Vampires." Just seeing the word brought his mood crashing down again. Maybe Mom will get here soon so I can go home, he thought glumly. Fifteen minutes later his prayers were answered. Lucy walked through the door, looking cheerful and bright as usual. She looked at her adopted son in his black clothes, with his multiple earrings and nose ring and sighed. The Boys had taken a toll on him, whether they were here or not. He probably, no definitely, would be happier if the were here, a fact that made her quite unhappy.  
  
"Hi Mom," Laddie said, not trying to hide the way he was feeling.  
  
"Laddie, honey, I wish you would at least *try* to be happy. It's not so bad here, is it?"  
  
"No, it's not. It's just that, you know, they *promised*. And they *left*. It hurts."  
  
"I know, but they're vampires, Laddie, you expected them to keep a promise?"  
  
"Mom, vampires live by their word. Of course I expected them to keep their promise."  
  
Lucy knew there was no reasoning with him. But perhaps he *did* know more about vampires than she chose to believe. Maybe he was right about them being true to their word. After all, they had never gone after her or Grandpa, ever. Sometimes they were downright cordial to them. It had always confused them but not Laddie. He seemed to expect it.  
  
"Mom?" Laddie called, breaking Lucy out of her thoughts, " Can I go home now?"  
  
"What? Oh, sure, honey. Go home, get some rest," Lucy said, waving her hand in dismissal.  
  
"Bye, Mom, see you later!" he called, pushing the door open and heading out to his motorcycle. Climbing on, he roared away.  
  
------------------------  
  
David stood in front of an old, abandoned mine, waiting. He had sent out the call and soon his Pack would come. He had chosen this place in the heart of the California wilderness because it would provide the privacy they needed to get reacquainted and because the tunnels of the mine would offer good shelter when dawn came. He heard a rustling and whipped his head towards the source of the sound. When he saw the flash of chestnut brown curls his undead heart leapt. He reached out with his mind and sure enough it was she. Annabelle, his mate. But he wouldn't call her, no; he would wait for her to appear on her own. Then there she was, stepping out from behind the trees and walking towards him, the softest smile on her beautiful lips. She stopped mere inches away from him, their bodies almost touching but not quite. Tentatively she reached her hand up and brushed her fingers lightly over his face. As it happened all those years ago, he caught her hand and gently pressed a kiss to each fingertip. But they would not give in to passion on this night. This night was for Pack and Pack alone. So instead of pulling her roughly against him, he just enveloped her in a loving hug full of longing and tenderness.  
  
Annabelle broke the silence first, pulling away from him slightly and looking into his eyes, "I missed you so, David," she murmured.  
  
"And I you, Annabelle," he replied, pronouncing her name slowly and deliberately.  
  
They heard a whistling of the air above them and smiled when they realized that it was another member of the Pack.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Soon all were there. Except one. Dwayne had his eyes closed, trying desperately to feel if his mate was close. Paul put a hand on his shoulder and he didn't resist. "She'll be here, man," Paul said softly.  
  
"Yes, we would have felt it if she were gone, "David added confidently, "you even more so if the mate-bond was broken."  
  
Dwayne just nodded silently. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he began to look around wildly, finally stopping to look in one particular direction. "I feel her!" he said, as much excitement in his voice as he dared. They all turned in the direction he was looking and saw a figure weaving in and out of the trees. It was definitely her. Marco grinned and clapped Dwayne on the back. "See? Nothin' to worry about," he said happily.  
  
Dwayne's mate Sela burst through the trees and landed gracefully on the ground. She shook the leaves and twigs out of her red-gold mane and smiled at her family.  
  
"I am so sorry I'm late. I was in England when I got the call and flew as fast as I could to be here," she said, a wide smile lighting up her pale features.   
  
Dwayne was the first to get to her and lifted her up in his arms, swinging her around in circles. The rest of the Pack watched the happy reunion of the mates with expressions of joy on each of their faces.  
  
Later, as they sat on makeshift chairs deep in the tunnels, Paul decided to bring up the promise. "What about our promise, David," he asked the Pack leader.  
  
"We will keep it. We return to Santa Carla tomorrow night."  
  
  



	2. Part Two

Title: A Vampire's Word (Part 2)  
Author: ImhotepsGoddess  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. Anything else I mentioned in this story are also owned by other people, too. I still own Annabelle, and now I own Sela, Alex, *and* Charlotte too! Beat that!  
  
  
Part 2  
  
The next evening just an hour after sunset the roar of several motorcycles was heard coming towards Santa Carla.  
  
------------------------  
  
Laddie usually didn't get up until sunset during the summer and tonight was no exception. Lucy and Grandpa had come to accept that he liked to live this way when he didn't have school to get in the way of his nocturnal leanings and always let him sleep as long as he was up in time to take the night shift at the store. He swung his feet to the floor and slowly got up. Getting up was always the hardest thing for him. Once he was actually standing he was fine, though. He shuffled from his room to the adjoining bathroom and twisted the knobs in the shower, fiddling with them until he got the best temperature. He stepped into the shower and flinched for an instant as the steaming water washed over him. After about ten minutes he stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. Another night at the video store. Oh joy, he thought. Walking into his room he first pressed "play" on his CD player and smiled to himself as the opening cords of "Heaven Torn Asunder" by Cradle of Filth blasted out of his speakers. He then opened his closet and rummaged through it until he found what he wanted. He slipped on his plain black t-shirt and pulled on his baggy black jeans. Putting on his black boots and jewelry, he allowed his thoughts to turn to the Pack once again. Maybe he was finally ready to put away his childhood fantasy. If he could only accept that they were gone for good, he would be able to get on with his life. Perhaps he would go to college, become a writer. Be happy again. He closed his eyes and felt the last tears he would ever cry for the pack that he would never be a part of slip down his cheeks. When the last drops had fallen he got up and walked out of his room, stopping only to turn off his stereo.  
  
Lucy turned and watched as her son walked slowly down the stairs. Something had changed in him. Call it 'mother's intuition' or whatever else you wanted to, she could just see it. No matter what anyone had ever said to her in the past ten years, Laddie had truly become her son. Just thinking about losing him the way she had lost her other boys made her heart ache and her stomach drop. It had taken so long to be able to think about Sam and Michael without crying, she never wanted to go through that again. Lucy worried day and night about Laddie. So much so that Grandpa had spoken to him a few times about how much he was worrying her. Worrying *them*, really. He worried Grandpa too, not that he would ever say as much. Turning her attention back to the present, she stopped Laddie when he reached the landing. "Laddie, are you all right?" she asked.  
  
"Actually, Mom, I'm a lot better than I have been in a long time. I think I've finally accepted the truth," he said, a sad smile touching his lips.  
  
"Truth?"  
  
"Yeah, that the Pack aren't coming home. That maybe it's time to move on with my life."  
  
"Oh, Laddie, sweetheart," Lucy said softly, enveloping him in a warm, motherly hug.  
  
He hugged her back and knew that he was making the right decision. "Mom, I have to go and take over for Maria. I'm sure she wants to leave by now," he said, stepping out of the hug.  
  
"Alright, be careful. I wish you would just get a car. Motorcycles can be so much more dangerous," she said, concern creeping into her voice.  
  
"Okay, Mom, maybe I'll think about it," Laddie replied, grabbing his keys and walking to the door, pausing to pat Nanook on the head, "Say goodbye to Grandpa for me!"  
  
With that he was on his bike and heading towards the Boardwalk.  
  
--------------------  
  
When he reached the video store he pushed open the door and waved a greeting to Maria, who was now the manager of the store. "Hi, Maria, you can go home now if you want," he said.  
  
"Thanks Laddie, I think I will. Tess has a little cold," she replied. Maria had married a local police officer 4 years ago and had a two-year-old daughter.  
  
"Oh, I hope she feels better," Laddie called as Maria left.  
  
Laddie picked up a stack of recently returned tapes and began putting them away one by one. As he passed the "Employee Recommends" wall, he frowned slightly. Time to make some changes, he thought to himself. Scanning the titles he had put in his section, he decided to remove two of them. Picking up "Near Dark" and "Fright Night," he carried both tapes back to their section and put them away. In their places he put "Hellraiser" and "Children of the Corn." If he was going to stop thinking about the Pack, he would not be watching vampire movies anymore. He smiled to himself in satisfaction and sat behind the counter. Within minutes he was bored out of his mind. He noticed an old copy of Rolling Stone lying on the counter and picked it up, lazily leafing through it.  
  
He heard the bell on the door clang but didn't bother to look up. It wasn't *that* late, but not too many people around here at this time of night in the summer were interested in renting movies. Mostly they wanted to party. With that in mind he called offhandedly, "Alex, are you *sure* you don't want a job here?"   
  
"Who's Alex?" an all too familiar voice asked, and Laddie froze, dropping the magazine onto the floor.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Laddie closed his eyes for a minute to get a handle on his feelings. He looked up slowly and saw what he never thought he'd see again. The Pack, all of them, were standing by the counter. "Hi," he said meekly, his voice sounding unsure and tired.  
  
"Laddie? That you? Wow, you've changed little man," said Paul, as usual the first to break the silence.   
  
Laddie was the all at once aware of his current appearance. He had changed a lot in the five years they were gone and he was, in a way, very glad. It was partly their fault that his personality had darkened. Not entirely, though. He enjoyed the music and lifestyle that went with the way he looked. He would not be changing now that they were back.  
  
"Well, it's been five years," he said harshly, walking out from behind the counter and going to the tape drop, collecting the returned tapes in his arms. He walked back to the counter and began to scan them back in, effectively ignoring the Pack.  
  
"We're back now, Laddie. We've come to fulfill our promise," said David bluntly, tapping on the counter to get the angry young man's attention.  
  
Laddie's head snapped up and he slammed a tape next to David's fingers, almost hitting them. Just as he was about to let loose all of his anger a soft voice interrupted the tension. "Laddie? Maybe I should come back later?"  
  
Laddie turned his attention toward the door and smiled brightly when he saw it was his sometime-girlfriend, Charlotte, looking at him questioningly. She mouthed the word "police" and he shook his head. "No, Char, it's okay. Please come in," he said, giving her a look she knew as his "get me out of this situation" look.  
  
She walked around to stand behind the counter and gently pried the tape from Laddie's fingers. "Here, I got these," she said, tucking a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. "Are you going to introduce me to the people?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah. Char, these are some old friends of mine. Guys, this is Charlotte," Laddie spat, unable to control his anger.   
  
Charlotte realized that these were the "old friends" he had always talked about. "Umm...I think you need to talk about some things. Laddie, I'll see you after work, ok?" she said, kissing him lightly and hurrying out the door before he could stop her.  
  
Laddie continued to work in the uncomfortable silence, content to let the Pack make the first move. "So, what have you been up to?" Marco asked finally.  
  
"Not much, just what you see," Laddie answered, looking up briefly from his task.  
  
"From the looks of you you've been doing a hell of a lot more than just sitting in a video store," sneered David.  
  
"Really? What does it look like I've been doing? Slipping down into a bottomless pit of despair? Marring my body to reflect my soul? Come on, *David*, tell me what you see?" Laddie shouted, his anger at their clueless-ness reaching a boiling point.  
  
David stared at him in shock; unable to believe that this was the same carefree teenager they had left five years ago. His appearance was what had thrown them all off at first. They hadn't been totally sure it was him until he answered to his name. The jewelry, the piercings, the clothes, all of it was so different than they remembered. He realized that Laddie and the Pack were looking at him expectantly. "Well I don't know what I see, Laddie. Certainly not who we remembered," David answered, for once totally honest.   
  
"Time changes people, David. Maybe not *you* people, but us normals. Did you expect the same naive little fifteen-year-old when you walked through that door?" Laddie shot back.  
  
"No, of course not. All David means is that you've just changed a lot more than we expected," Annabelle interjected.  
  
"Hmmm...well, I'm sorry that I've moved on without you. Did you think I would just be sitting here staring at that door with over-flowing hope every night?" he asked, trying not to think of the fact that that was exactly what he *had* been doing.  
  
Dwayne chose to answer that one. "No, Laddie, we didn't. We just weren't aware of what was going on in your life. If we had known....." he trailed off, at a loss for words.  
  
"What? What would you have done? Come back sooner? Taken the poor little boy who so desperately wanted to be Pack into your little cave and nursed him back to health?" Laddie snarled sarcastically, fighting tears that were starting to form.  
  
The Pack just watched as the young man before them crumbled, his anger dissolving into pain and disappointment. The tears started to flow down his cheeks and his shoulders shook in silent sobs. "Laddie...." Paul started.  
  
"Please...I don't want your pity, Paul. I don't want to hear it," Laddie choked out.  
  
"I don't pity you, Laddie. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. We're all sorry. We didn't know it would be so long. We truly thought it would only be a year, two at the most," he said, serious for once.  
  
The video store was silent for a long time. Then the door swung open and a loud voice called, "Laddie, dude, I...."  
  
Alex stopped when he saw the scene before him. He knew immediately that these were those people that Laddie had referred to as "family" and that whatever had happened had not been pretty. He felt the anger rise in him when he saw that his friend was crying and they were doing nothing to comfort him. Laddie was like a brother to him and he had spent a lot of time listening to him talk about what he had often called "the Pack." He had always had a note of sadness in his voice when he talked about them, but it had been obvious that he missed them and wanted them back. And now here they were and they were just standing there like complete assholes.  
  
Ignoring them completely, he went behind the counter and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. Laddie looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Hey man," he said softly, his voice hoarse.  
  
Alex leaned over and quietly whispered to Laddie, "You want me to kick these fuckers out?"  
  
"Hey, who the hell are you?" asked David angrily, his vampiric hearing picking up the question.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing, cause you obviously ain't friends or family. I, on the other hand, am Laddie's best friend. The name's Alex."  
  
"Well, *Alex*, we're a little bit of both, actually," said David, taking in Alex's slacker-type appearance with a hint of distaste, "maybe he's mentioned us? The Pack?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. You guys are the pieces of crap that left five years ago without another word, right?" he said sardonically.  
  
"I wouldn't say that if I were you, *boy*, it could be dangerous to your health," David threatened in an intimidating voice.  
  
"Oh no you don't, David. Don't you even think about threatening him. Do you really want me to hate you that much?" Laddie asked, standing up slowly.  
  
"Of course not, Laddie. You're Pack, whether or not you believe it. We won't hurt anyone that is important to you," Paul said hurriedly, shooting a Look at David. David in turn looked Laddie in the eye and silently nodded in agreement.   
  
"What about you David? I want to *hear* what you really think of me now." Laddie asked, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
David was silent for a moment, thinking of the best way to say what he wanted to say without setting off the apparently emotionally frail boy. "Laddie...whether you ever knew it or not, I liked having you in our Pack. In some ways you were the thing that held us together, even after Annabelle brought the others back and you weren't technically blood anymore. To all of us you are still Pack, no matter what has happened to you or your physical appearance. Truly we want you to be blood, we still want you to be one of us again," before Laddie could respond, David held up a hand and continued, "Now, a question for you. Do you still wish to be one of us? We will let you make that decision."  
  
Laddie looked down, his mind racing. They still wanted him? But how long had it taken for him to give up on that? To accept life as it was? And what about Lucy and Grandpa...and all of his friends for that matter? Could he really leave Alex and Char? Finally he looked up and glanced at Alex. Alex looked back at him, unable to comprehend all the talk of blood and Pack. He could be of no help. "The truth is, I don't know anymore. It took me so long to accept my life as it was, and now you've come back and in a span of maybe an hour, you've turned my life upside down again. I need to think. Can you understand that?" he asked.  
  
David nodded and Annabelle answered for him, "Yes, Laddie, we understand. You know where we live, but we'll be back. We need to catch up. We *all* want to know who you are now, the good and bad."   
  
Annabelle walked behind the counter and tentatively put her arms around Laddie in a light hug. After an instant Laddie relaxed and returned the hug, She placed a light kiss on his cheek and then left. One by one the rest of the Pack hugged Laddie briefly, until only David was left. Laddie watched him in an uncomfortable silence, unsure of what he would do. Finally David sighed, realizing that although he may be Pack leader, Laddie trusted him the least. Giving in, he walked around to where Laddie was standing and hugged him, whispering, "It *is* good to see you, boy."  
  
He released him and walked out the door to join the rest of the Pack, who were already on their motorcycles. Laddie heard the familiar rumbling of the engines and squeal of tires, and then they were gone.   
  
"Laddie?" Alex called, breaking the hush of the store.  
  
"Yeah?" Laddie asked.  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"I wish I knew, Alex, I wish I knew."  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Part Three

Title: A Vampire's Word (Part 3)  
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. Anything else I mentioned in this story are also owned by other people, too. I still own Annabelle, and now I own Sela, Alex, Dr. Hansen *and* Charlotte too! Beat that!  
  
  
Part 3  
  
The next afternoon Laddie awoke with a large headache and a lot of confusion. He was torn between two families, both of which were very important to him. He groaned and flung the sheet off of the bed and sat up. He wondered if anyone would visit him tonight. Actually, he wanted to speak to Paul and Annabelle the most. Paul would be able to put this dilemma in a good perspective, and Annabelle would be able to provide good advice. He knew that she wouldn't try to convince him one way or the other. He just didn't know how he would go about talking to Lucy or Grandpa about this.  
  
After pulling on a pair of black jeans and a plain black tank top he left his room, stopping only to slip on a pair of dark sunglasses. Trudging down the stairs, his eyes never left the floor. He wasn't in the mood to talk just yet. He went into the kitchen and found the bottle of aspirin. Swallowing two pills quickly, he grimaced at the sour taste they left in the back of his throat. He turned on the water and dipped his head to the faucet, taking in a few mouthfuls of the semi-cold liquid. "Laddie honey, you look terrible. Is everything all right?" Lucy asked from behind him.  
  
"Yeah, Mom, everything's okay. Just had a rough night is all," he replied, grabbing a rubber band off the counter and tying back his slightly greasy hair.  
  
"I think that maybe you should see a doctor. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror today?"  
  
"No, Mom, really...I just got in real late is all. Alex wouldn't let me alone. You know how he is," his smile turning into a grimace.  
  
"Is Alex really the one who bothered you so much last night? Dad told me that he heard a lot of motorcycle engines around here pretty late."  
  
"What, you think the Pack is back? Didn't I tell you that I was over that? Even if they were back, I certainly wouldn't care at all; I wouldn't get so upset that I would make myself sick."  
  
"Well, whatever the problem, you are definitely not going to work tonight, young man. You are going to march right back up those stairs and go back to sleep. I'm going to call Dr. Hansen. I think he's the only doctor who makes house calls around here anymore," said Lucy, in a tone that left no room for argument.  
  
"Ok," Laddie replied wearily, not wanting to argue with her at the moment. The Doc wouldn't find anything wrong anyway. He shuffled up the stairs to his room and slid out of his clothes and under the cool sheets.  
  
About two hours later a soft knock on the door woke Laddie out of his light sleep. The door opened and in walked Lucy with Dr. Hansen, a man in his late sixties, dressed in a pair of dark blue slacks and a white short sleeved shirt. Laddie had known Dr. Hansen since he had come to live with the Emersons and trusted him a lot. His opinion also meant a lot to Laddie, something he would never admit. "So, Laddie, not feeling so good, are we?" he asked.  
  
"Not really, Doc. But I'm just tired, is all. Mom's overreacting."  
  
"Well, we'll see about that," Dr. Hansen replied.  
  
In a few minutes Dr. Hansen looked Laddie over and of course couldn't find anything really wrong with him. "Laddie, ya know ya can tell me anything that's goin' on. I won't tell yer mom," he said seriously.  
  
"Doc, I'm just having a sort of problem with some old friends who have kind of reappeared just now. They want me to hang out with them again, but that means giving up some stuff. I don't know if I can do that," Laddie replied cautiously.  
  
"Well, then...if ya don't want ta give up some things, then perhaps ya can't be friends wid 'em anymore."  
  
"That's an easy answer, but it, well, it doesn't work like that really. It's like, I was so close to them before, I kinda almost *needed* them. I've just now started to be me without them, and now here they are again. On the one hand, it's always been a fantasy of mine to really be one of them and now I can be. On the other hand, how can I leave Mom and Grandpa and all of the friends I've made since they left?" he asked timidly, not really wanting an answer if Dr. Hansen had one.  
  
"Laddie, I've known ya fer a long time, and yer almost like another son ta me. So I'm gonna tell ya what I'd tell my son if he was askin'. You'd probably break ya mother's heart if ya left her, and I know ya don't really wanna do that. But if ya ain't happy, she'd want ya ta be happy. And if the only way ya gonna be happy is with these friends a yers, then she'd want ya ta be wid 'em. Does that make any sense ta ya?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah it does Doc. Thanks for your advice. I don't know what I'm going to do just yet, but you've given me some things to think about," Laddie said with a small smile. Somehow Doc always knew how to make him feel a little better.  
  
"Well, be sure ta tell me when ya do decide. And Laddie, be careful, whateva ya do," Dr. Hansen answered and gently patted Laddie on the back.  
  
"Ok, Doc, thanks again."  
  
Once Dr. Hansen left Laddie decided that spending the rest of the night in bed would not do him any good. He got up, took a shower and got dressed. After putting on his spiked collar, cuffs, chains, and extra earrings, he grabbed his jacket and this time he pounded down the stairs with renewed energy. "Grandpa, I'm going out! Is Mom at the store?" he shouted.  
  
"So, feeling better? That's good. Yeah, Lucy's at the store. Why don't you stop by there? I'm sure she'd be happy to see you up and cheerful," Grandpa replied with a smile. He was glad Laddie was getting out of his funk.  
  
"Ok, Grandpa, I will," Laddie said with a smile and tugged lightly on Grandpa's ponytail as he strolled out of the house.  
  
----------------------  
  
At the boardwalk, Laddie walked on the wooden planks at a leisurely pace, one hand in his pocket and the other loosely holding on to a half-smoked cigarette. He took a long drag off the cigarette and blew the smoke into the night air, then crushed the remainder of it under his thick boots. He was trying to quit. He walked past what had been the Frog's comic book store and allowed his eyes to cloud a little with tears. He hadn't really wanted them to die. They hadn't been bad guys, just not very smart. The store was now just another tourist dive, but it seemed to do okay business and would probably see another few summers. He pushed past a small crowd of teenagers in their faddish, Macy's bought "grunge" clothes and grinned slightly when they shied away from him. Posers, he thought. He grabbed a soda, a small bag of Doritos, and the cheapest pack of cigarettes he could buy then left and began to walk towards the video store. Taking a large gulp of soda, he relished the burning sensation it caused in his throat for a moment before noticing a familiar shadow in the alley. "Paul, is that you?" he called.  
  
Paul stepped from the shadows and gave a short laugh. "Can't hide from you that long, can I?" he asked jokingly.  
  
"Nope, never," Laddie replied, smiling, "Where are the rest of the Pack?"  
  
"Oh, they aren't gonna be here tonight. At least not on this part of the boardwalk. I figured you and me could talk," Paul said and ran his fingers through his now short, spiky hair.  
  
"Ok, about what?"   
  
"Things. The Pack. How you're feeling. What you've been up to. Whatever."  
  
"Well, I haven't been up to all that much. Uh, finished high school, didn't feel much like going to college so Mom put me to work," Laddie said offhandedly.  
  
"Mom? Oh, you mean Lucy?" Paul asked and Laddie nodded, "You two get along real well?"  
  
"Yeah, we do. She's, like, my mom," Laddie shrugged, "She been...well, a mom to me. I don't know how else to explain it. I don't remember my real parents, and she's as good a parent as someone can get. Grandpa too," Laddie finished truthfully.  
  
"That's good," said Paul and he started walking. He gestured for Laddie to follow, "We had hoped that they would take good care of you. Glad to see we were right."  
  
They walked in a comfortable silence for a minute before Paul turned to Laddie and sighed. "So, man...what exactly happened to ya. I don't mean to offend you or anything but you know...you're a lot different."  
  
"Not really, Paul. I haven't changed as much as you think. I can still have fun and stuff. It's been a tough few years, you know? I've dealt with it as best I could," Laddie shot back. He took out his pack of cigarettes and lit one, then offered the pack towards Paul. Paul shook his head and Laddie shrugged, then put the pack back in his pocket.  
  
"When did you start smoking?" Paul asked.  
  
"Ummm, I dunno. I coupla years ago, I guess. Hey, you guys always did it," Laddie answered defensively.  
  
"Yeah, we did. I just never thought...never mind. You still like it here, though?" Paul asked, changing the subject.  
  
The change wasn't lost on Laddie but he didn't bring it up. "Yeah, it's my home. All my friends and my family live here. Why wouldn't I like it?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe you've gotten tired of it. Maybe you want to move on. Just things we want to know."  
  
"Why, are you guys planning on leaving here? I mean, if I join you? Why wouldn't you stay?"  
  
"Well, we don't know. We want to see how much the place has changed. If it's still a good hunting ground and all of that," Paul said semi-casually. He wanted to see Laddie's reaction to his town being called a "hunting ground."  
  
If Laddie had a reaction to that phrase, he didn't show it. "Oh, well, the tourists still come here in droves. Do I have to provide you with a list of names and descriptions, maybe pictures, of people I don't want you to put the bite on?" Laddie asked sarcastically.  
  
"No...well, are there a lot of them?"  
  
"Well there's Mom, Grandpa, Alex, Charlotte...oh, Dr. Hansen, my friend Billy, Maria...her family...hmmm, the list does go on a little. Maybe I *should* write it all out. You know, like a dossier?" Laddie snorted derisively.  
  
  
"Maybe you should," Paul said without any irony. He didn't like the way this conversation was heading.  
  
"Are you surprised that I actually care about anyone else besides you guys?"  
  
"You still care about us?" Paul said, shock coloring his words.  
  
"Yeah, of course. You were the closest thing I had to family for a long time. I still consider you guys family. That's why this is so hard," Laddie explained. 'Why do I have the feeling I'm going to be saying this a lot,' he thought.  
  
"Laddie, believe me when we say we're sorry for everything that's happened to you. We really wish we could take it all back. You'll probably hear that a lot. Except maybe from Dwayne. He'll probably just say 'I'm sorry' and leave it at that," Paul joked, trying to lighten the mood a little.  
  
"Even David?" Laddie asked in a small voice.  
  
Paul furrowed his brow at Laddie's words. He couldn't believe that Laddie still didn't believe that David wasn't all that bad, especially to family. "Of course even David. Laddie dude, why do you distrust David so much?"  
  
"Because...well, you know I was always scared of him," Paul nodded and Laddie continued, "He just seemed not to really care about anything. He was so mean to Star, after she didn't want to be with him anymore, and he was so cruel to everyone who wasn't you guys. I was always afraid he'd turn on me or even you and the rest of the Pack."  
  
Paul smiled softly at the concern that creeped into Laddie's voice. "That's just it, Laddie, he was cruel to everyone who *wasn't* us. He would never hurt you, or anyone in the Pack. Even Star went it came down to it, he couldn't destroy her. Maybe he should have," Paul mused.  
  
"How does he feel about me now?" Laddie asked fearfully.  
  
"He wants you in the Pack. That's all I can say. I think he can better explain himself to you personally. Maybe tonight?" Paul asked.  
  
"No, I don't think so. I'm not really ready for a one-on-one conversation with him yet. Maybe in a couple of nights, okay?"  
  
"Sure, best for last, right?" Paul said and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, something like that," Laddie agreed.   
  
They came to a stop a few feet from the video store and leaned against a railing. The two stood in silence for a minute, just watching the people rush or meander from store to store and off and on to the boardwalk. "Well Laddie, I have to go. The hunt calls, you know?" Paul said, not shielding Laddie from the reality of life.  
  
"Yeah, sure. I should go see Mom anyway. It was good talking to you."  
  
"Yeah, same here. I'll see you later," Paul laughed and tousled Laddie's hair as if he were still a young boy. Then he leapt over the railing and disappeared into the shadows of the beach.  
  
Laddie shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair to fix it. Pushing off the railing he weaved his way through the crowd and into the video store. Lucy smiled when she saw Laddie enter the store with a happy smile on his face. "I take it you're feeling better, Laddie?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, a lot better Mom. A lot better." he answered, for now a carefree kid once again.  
  
  
  



	4. Part Four

Title: A Vampire's Word (Part 4)  
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. Anything else I mentioned in this story are also owned by other people, too, especially the awesome bands Type O Negative & Cradle of Filth and their songs Black #1 & Heaven Torn Asunder, respectively. I still own Annabelle, and now I own Sela, Alex, Dr. Hansen *and* Charlotte too!   
  
  
Part 4  
  
The next day was pretty much a blur for Laddie. He wasn't visited by any of the Pack the evening after his talk with Paul, and he was very disappointed. Lucy noticed that he looked sad that night and decided that he needed to be talked to. Something was different about him but she couldn't really decipher what it could be.  
  
"Laddie, I think maybe we should have one of those heart-to-heart chats we used to be famous for, huh?" she said as he passed through the living room.  
  
"What? Umm...okay, Mom. What did you want to talk about?" he asked, dreading what she would say next.  
  
"Well, you were very happy last night but tonight you seem almost disappointed by something. Do you want to tell me about it?"  
  
"Mom, there is something I have to tell you," Laddie had made up his mind, and now would be the moment. He had to tell her. "I saw Paul last night. We talked and everything."  
  
Lucy looked at him with stunned, tearful eyes. The Pack was back? How could this be? Just when Laddie had gotten over them and was starting a new, healthy chapter in his life. She closed her eyes briefly to regain some control. "Have you seen the other ones? Are they here too?" she asked, not wanting to hear the answer.  
  
"I haven't seen them," Laddie lied. He didn't want Lucy to know that he'd been hiding the news about the Pack for three days. "But Paul said that they're here and that I should be seeing them soon."  
  
"Laddie, are you happy that they're back?"  
  
"Well, truthfully, yeah. You know I never gave up hope that they'd come back. But, I'm also confused. I don't really know what to do. They've given me the choice."  
  
Lucy nodded silently, knowing exactly what choice he was talking about. If he was confused, that meant she hadn't lost him entirely. "Are you thinking about becoming one of them?" she asked fearfully.  
  
"Yes, Mom, I am. But you have to know that I love you and Grandpa and this is the hardest decision I think I'll ever have to make. Neither choice is a very good one, and I'll be losing something either way," Laddie replied, sadness tingeing his words.  
  
"Whatever happens, I'll always be your mother and I'll always love you," Lucy said quietly and pulled Laddie into a hug.  
  
The mother and son sat like that for a few moments, each taking comfort in the warmth of knowing that someone would always be there for them. Laddie broke the hug first and wiped tears from his eyes. "Mom, I'm going to take a walk. I need to clear my head," he said.  
  
"Ok, honey, be careful," she replied.  
  
----------------------  
  
Laddie barely got down the driveway when he felt a tapping on his shoulder. He whirled around and he smiled when he saw who it was. Marco. "Marco, hi, what are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"Well, Laddie, since Paul told us that your talk went so well last night, I thought I'd give it a try. You look kinda troubled, man...wanna talk about it?"  
  
"I just had a pretty heavy talk with my mom. Very Oprah worthy," he added with a smile. The two started to walk down the deserted, barely paved street.  
  
"Oh, what about?" Marco asked, slipping his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.  
  
"I told her that I saw Paul last night. I omitted the fact that I saw the rest of you guys two nights ago, though."  
  
"How did she react?"  
  
"She was upset, of course. She wanted to know what I was going to do and all of that. She's worried about losing her only son, you know?" Laddie answered, a look of slight guilt passing across his pale face.  
  
"I can't say I know how she feels, but I do know that it must be hard for her," said Marco, trying hard to sound sympathetic. He didn't feel bad about what had happened to Michael and Sam, but knew that she wasn't going to like losing Laddie, which inevitably was what was going to happen.  
  
"It is, not knowing if I'm going to there a week from now. I'm wondering if she just wants my decision to be made so that she can get on with her life either way."  
  
"You don't know what you're going to do yet?" Marco asked, surprised. He had been so sure that Laddie would choose them, even though Paul hadn't been sure and he knew Laddie best.  
  
"You're asking me to choose between the people who have raised and loved me for ten years and the people whose blood I share but pretty much abandoned me five years ago. To any outsider the decision seems simple if I put it like that, but you and I both know that it's the exact opposite. My insides have felt like they've been split in half for the past three days," Laddie answered, his voice shaking slightly.  
  
Marco sighed and put his arm tentatively around the boy he'd always thought of as his little brother. He saw now that the decision wouldn't be made until every member of the Pack made their case and showed their love and support for Laddie. "I hate to say this, but I have to go. Just don't decide anything until you hear from all of us, okay?"  
  
Laddie nodded his head. "I won't Marco, this is just too important a choice to make in three days."  
  
Marco smiled and gave Laddie's shoulders a squeeze, then took off into the air. Soon he was gone from sight.  
  
----------------------  
  
Marco glided into the cave and was soon being bombarded with questions. "How did it go?" David asked.  
  
"Not as good as I thought it would," Marco said quietly.  
  
"You are way too much of an optimist, man. I told you that he doesn't know what he's gonna do yet," Paul remarked, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know what you said, Paul. That doesn't mean I believed it," Marco replied, a mischievous expression on his face.  
  
Before the boys could get into an insult war, Sela interrupted them. "So what did he say, anyway?" she asked from her spot on Dwayne's lap.  
  
"He said that he told Lucy that he talked to you, Paul, and that she was very upset. He really doesn't want to hurt her or the old man, and that's gonna make it hard for us to convince him to join us," Marco answered, his face serious.  
  
"But not impossible," David said, a smirk firmly in place.  
  
"No, not impossible," Marco echoed.  
  
"I think, Boss, that when it comes down to it, you're gonna be the one to either convince him to become Pack or stay with his folks," stated Paul, no trace of his usual humor in his voice.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Dwayne, joining the conversation. "You know that he doesn't trust you completely yet. If you show him that the Pack isn't complete without him, he'll believe you."  
  
"Look," snarled David suddenly. "Granted, Laddie is supposed to be Pack and we all know this. But if he doesn't join with us then he's against us. Do we all agree on this?"   
  
"David, darling, don't do anything you'll regret. If he needs to be convinced, do so. Don't drive him away. I know you don't want to," Annabelle pleaded gently.  
  
David sighed, his sudden burst of anger slowly melting away. "I know, my Belle, I know. I just hate having to do this. He's Pack, there should be no question as to what he wants to do. This never would have happened...."  
  
"Back when I was a boy?" Paul interrupted, a wide grin on his face and laughter in his voice.  
  
"Or maybe back in the good old days?" Marco joked and he and Paul high-fived each other.  
  
David growled good-naturedly and laughed. At least for now the serious discussion was forgotten.  
  
----------------------  
  
Back at the Emersons, Laddie was laying on his bed writing furiously in his journal. Getting all of his feelings down on paper was usually helpful to him in making important choices such as the one that was in front of him. He flipped over on his back and re-read the page or so that he had already furiously scribbled down. Most of it dealt with his confusing feelings about the Pack. Love and hate were the two main ones. He also felt an enormous amount of loyalty towards them mixed with feelings of betrayal. As he thought more about these things, he realized that perhaps he shouldn't be feeling so betrayed. They left, yeah, but they did say goodbye. They never told him exactly when they would be back. Maybe it had been stupid of him to wait so impatiently for them, as if they had given him an exact date for their return. "Laddie, turn down that god-awful music!" he heard Grandpa yell from downstairs.  
  
"Sorry!" he yelled back and rolled to his side, grabbing his stereo remote and clicking the volume button a few times, lowering Type O Negative's deep melodies a few notches.  
  
"Black, black, black, black number one," Laddie sang softly to himself as he began to write again.  
  
He chewed on his pen a few seconds, as he always did when he was deep in thought. If the Pack caused such confusing emotions in him, then Lucy and Grandpa caused the exact opposite. He knew exactly how he felt about his adoptive family. But if he loved them so much, why did he have such a big dilemma? Why didn't he just choose them and tell the Pack to fuck off? The answer, of course, was blood. Even if the blood no longer held the power it did, it still ran through his veins, making his connection to the other members of the Pack very strong. Contrary to what Michael, Sam, and the Frog brothers thought, just because a half-vampire returned to "normal" after the head vampire was killed, that didn't mean that he or she didn't retain the bonds that were formed when he was turned. It was actually the entire opposite. The Pack bond stayed strong, which often led the former vampire to either commit suicide or try to return to the Pack. Laddie had never understood in the week or so before Michael and Star's deaths why they hadn't been going crazy from their lack of contact with the Pack. Laddie had known in his very soul that at least one of them was alive right away, and Michael and Star should have known it too. Ignoring it was almost impossible. After their resurrection, just being near them had helped a lot and so it was only logical that he would descend into depression after they left. Actually, he didn't know why he didn't feel it the moment they returned. Maybe the link was weaker than he thought. After all, he wasn't *officially* Pack. Their blood had been mixing with his own for ten years, diluting the power it once held.   
  
Glancing over at his clock, he groaned when he saw the time. 3 AM. It was definitely time for bed. He closed the spiral notebook that he used as a journal and slipped the pen into its rings. Then he opened the bottom drawer in his night table and slid the book under a huge pile of papers to keep it from immediate view. Slowly he stood up, and changed out of his jeans and t-shirt and into a pair of old, black boxers. He threw himself back on his bed, pulled a sheet over his head and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep, snoring lightly.  
  
  
  



	5. Part Five

Title: A Vampire's Word (Part 5)  
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. Anything else I mentioned in this story are also owned by other people, too. I still own Annabelle, and now I own Sela, Alex, Dr. Hansen *and* Charlotte too!   
  
  
Part 5  
  
Laddie decided to go to work the next evening. He was trying hard not to think about who would be visiting him tonight, even though he knew that someone would. He avoided the concerned glances that Lucy kept throwing his way, and left the house in a hurry with a quick 'goodbye' tossed over his shoulder on the way out.   
  
The video store was quiet except for two little kids of about seven or eight who were running their dirty little fingers over the boxes in the Children's Section. One of them came bounding up to the counter, his slightly dirty blond hair hanging like a thin curtain in front of his face. "Hey mister, you got FernGully? I wanna see it but it don't seem to be over there."  
  
Laddie smiled the least frightening smile he could muster and bent down to look through the boxes in the plastic bin under the return slot. When he saw the tape he was looking for he wiggled it out from under four other movies and triumphantly straightened up. The kid was gone. In his place stood two dark figures that were immediately recognizable. Dwayne and Sela. "Where's the kid?" Laddie asked warily. They might seem like two of the more sensitive members of the Pack, but they still had a blood lust without the burden of guilt and morality.  
  
"Left, not dead," stated Dwayne succinctly.  
  
"We told them that we had to talk to you about something important. They'll be back with their mothers in awhile," assured Sela. "Don't worry about it. Why don't you close up the store for...say, twenty minutes?"  
  
"All right, I guess we should talk," said Laddie and he walked around them, closed the door, and flipped the sign over. "So, who wants to start?"  
  
"How are you feeling?" asked Dwayne.  
  
"Confused. That about covers it. I guess you guys never really had to worry about making the decision of whether or not to become what you are."  
  
"Actually," started Sela, leaning against the counter, one hand on her hip. "I *was* given the choice. I suppose, though, that it was really no choice at all, since I had no one else to go to."  
  
"See? What would you have done if you *did* have family to go to? Would you have chosen Dwayne and the Pack then?" asked Laddie.  
  
Sela sighed lightly. "Truthfully, I don't know. Our situations are different, regardless. Your mate is not waiting for you. Mine was. I trusted David with everything I was. You don't. They saved my life. They never saved yours. I was never originally blood. I didn't have the history with them like you do."  
  
"Why did you trust David? How could you?" asked Laddie, his voice confused. He hadn't really been aware of the events that lead to Sela joining the Pack.  
  
"He cared for me. Comforted me at a terrible time. Made me feel like I had a home and a place and a family. Didn't he ever make you feel that way?"   
  
During this conversation Dwayne stood silently and listened. He had never heard Sela's true feelings about David, but was glad that she could perhaps show Laddie that David wasn't all bad and wasn't always the bad guy.  
  
Laddie appeared deep in thought for a moment or two. He shook his head. "I always thought I was a nuisance. Just some little kid that was there by accident, or maybe used to keep Star in line. It always seemed like he pushed me aside and never noticed me. I was so scared of him, that maybe he would get mad at me and hurt me. I just tried to keep as small and invisible as possible," he said quietly, his voice wavering a bit toward the end.  
  
Dwayne reached out and put his hand on Laddie's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Believe me when I say that I never thought of you that way and I'm sure that David never thought of you that way either. He would never have hurt you, he wanted to protect you, even if he would never show it. David's got a tough exterior and maybe a tough interior, too. But he does have feelings too, you know that."  
  
"Maybe. I guess he does," Laddie ran his fingers through his hair and let out a breath that he might have been holding. "I just never saw it, really."  
  
"Not even when we had been killed?" Dwayne asked.  
  
"Rage was what I saw then. I never saw any sort of other feelings. Sadness, love, any of that. I'll tell you what I saw during the time I was with you. Rage, lust, hunger, cruel happiness, usually at other people's expenses. That's all I can think of. Maybe some pride, too," Laddie answered, anger rising in his voice.  
  
Dwayne nodded his head in partial agreement. "Yeah, those are his prominent feelings."  
  
"But what about how he acts around Annabelle?" asked Sela.  
  
"Annabelle is his mate. That's a totally different thing that must evoke different feelings in him," Laddie pointed out.  
  
Sela threw up her hands in defeat. "Laddie, bottom line is this: David wants you to be Pack, we want you to be Pack, and Pack is in your blood. Whether you want to believe it or not, that is the truth. The sooner you see it, the better," she snarled, and turned on her heel and stomped out of the store.  
  
Dwayne rolled his eyes and gave Laddie a small half-smile. "Don't worry about her. Sometimes her temper is worse than David's. She's not mad, just frustrated. As we all are. I'd better catch up with her before she does any damage," he said, disappearing out of the store.  
  
Laddie followed him to the door and pulled it back open and flipped the sign again. What a way to start the evening. He was sorry about angering Sela, but he couldn't stop feeling how he did about David. He supposed it would take David himself to change his mind. Or maybe it couldn't be changed at all. Just then the bell clanged and his head shot up. It was only Alex and Laddie gave him a relieved smile.  
  
"Rough night already?" Alex asked.  
  
"Oh yeah. Just got a visit from two members of the Pack. Ended in a little fight," Laddie added.  
  
"Those guys still bugging you? Wait, let me guess. You didn't tell 'em to fuck off just yet, right?"  
  
Laddie shrugged sheepishly. "Uh, not quite. I just can't do it, Alex. You have no idea how hard it is for me."  
  
"Maybe not but, dude, I do know this. They're pretty shitty for what they did to you. They fucked you up in the head really good. I just can't see what else you *could* do besides gettin' 'em the hell out of your life."   
  
"Listen, they practically raised me. I wouldn't be who I am, good *or* bad, without their influence. It was Paul who showed me how to look at life a little bit differently, Marco who made me love music, Dwayne who taught me how to listen and protected me. Later, it was Annabelle who gave me some of the best advice I've ever gotten and Sela who taught me how to look out for myself. I *can't* just turn my back on them," Laddie said, and felt his anger rise.   
  
"Sorry, Laddie, chill. I didn't mean to offend you or nothin'. Hey, what about that guy...David? I thought he was like the leader or something."  
  
"David...he taught me how...," Laddie's voice faded as he thought, 'how to be scared and hateful,' but no, that was wrong. "He taught me about family, and loyalty. The two things that are the most important to him," he finished, his voice confident.  
  
"Well, what can I say? It sounds like you got some shit choices to make and I wouldn't for anything want to be in your shoes," Alex said with humor in his voice.  
  
Laddie smiled back at his friend and gave him a playful punch in the arm. "Thanks a lot, Alex. I knew I could count on you for some uplifting words," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Anytime, man. Look, I'll see ya later, ok?"  
  
"Sure, later."  
  
----------------------  
  
At the cave, the Pack sat around, restless and bored. They couldn't go out until Dwayne and Sela returned, and they weren't back yet. Marco was the first to hear two voices, one raised angrily and the other soothing and calm. "Looks like they're back," he said.  
  
Sela stomped into the cave and flung herself on the first chair she came to. Dwayne perched on the arm of the same chair and gently massaged her shoulders. "Rough night?" Paul asked.  
  
"What do you think?" Sela snapped, but she quickly caught herself. "Sorry Paul, I'm just so aggravated, that's all!"  
  
"Why, what happened?" David asked from his chair.  
  
"Laddie, of course! He won't listen to reason! That kid is just *fucked* *up*," she stated flatly.  
  
"Now, don't be unreasonable, sis. Dwayne, what happened?" Paul asked, figuring that Dwayne would be more reasonable.  
  
"The talk was going along fine, everything was cool. Until we got to talking about David," Dwayne said, and shot a concerned glance towards the leader. He was just leaning forward, listening intently with a cool expression on his face. "Then it all went to hell. Basically, he doesn't trust you in any way, David. You're still the Big, Bad Wolf to him. He is...or was scared shitless of you, to be perfectly honest."  
  
"Scared of me? Why?" David asked without any irony. He was truly confused.  
  
"He's pretty sure that in your eyes he is, or was worthless. He feels that he was either an accident or a tool used to keep Star in line," Dwayne said, echoing Laddie's words. "Either way, he thought you were on the edge of killing him at all times."  
  
Annabelle's eyes filled with dark red tears. "God, David, how could you? How could he even love us? What his life must have been like back then, what a hell it was," she whispered, her voice laced with sadness and horror.  
  
"It's not my fault, Belle. I never treated him that way. True, I never meant for him to be Pack, but once he was...well, he was. I never would have hurt him," David said, defensiveness seeping into his voice.  
  
"David, it doesn't matter what you would or would not have done. It's what he believes, and *that* is what he believes," Sela said quietly, her anger lessening now that she began to see Laddie's feelings.  
  
David growled lightly and his eyes flashed gold. "What do you want me to do about it? How the fuck can I change his mind? He's obviously very set in what he believes."  
  
Annabelle slid onto David's lap and toyed with his now slightly grown-out but still spiky hair. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. He listens to me, he trusts my advice. If that doesn't work, well...then it's up to you. You know that you'll make whatever decision he makes final."  
  
"Yeah, babe, I know. But now," David said, allowing Annabelle to slide off of his lap and standing up. "I think a good hunt is in order. Agreed?" he asked his Pack.  
  
His question was met with a roar of approval.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table with her father, a cup of tea in one hand and a box of tissues near the other. Laddie was still at work, which was good. Old Nanook was sprawled out on the floor, his coat turning silvery gray in some places. "Oh, Dad, what are we going to do?"  
  
"About what?" he asked.  
  
"Laddie. What if he decides to go back to them? What will we do?" she asked, reaching for a tissue and dabbing her eyes.  
  
"I don't know, Lucy. What can we do besides let him go?"  
  
Lucy took a sip of her tea and turned towards the window. He was right. The only thing to do was wait. 


	6. Part Six

Title: A Vampire's Word (Part 6)  
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. Anything else I mentioned in this story are also owned by other people, too. I still own Annabelle, Sela, Alex, Dr. Hansen *and* Charlotte too!   
A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to post this part! Writer's block totally sucks! I'm thinking there will only be two or three more chapters and then I'll definitely post my fully completed story about Sela.  
  
Part 6  
  
Laddie awoke late the next afternoon to the shrill ringing of the cordless phone that sat next to his bed. "Yeah?" he mumbled sleepily.  
  
"Did I wake ya, dude?" asked Alex in an annoyingly cheerful voice.  
  
"Nah, nah...I was just 'bout to get up, anyway. What's up?"  
  
"Feel up to a little partying?"  
  
Laddie slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Yeah, I guess so. Where?"  
  
"At the dunes. You know the place. Can you be there around like eight?"  
  
"Sure, that's cool. Char's gonna be there right?" Laddie asked.  
  
"But of course, man. Okay, gotta go. See ya."  
  
"Yeah, see ya Alex," Laddie replied and clicked off the phone.  
  
He slid fully out of bed and proceeded to begin his usual routine of showering and dressing for the day. After he was done he glanced at his clock and saw that it was only six in the evening. He hoped that no one from the Pack would visit him tonight. He just wanted to party and forget for a little while about the drama that was unfolding nightly.  
  
----------------------  
  
Lucy sat in the kitchen and watched as her son rooted the refrigerator for who-knows-what. "Honey, what are you looking for?" she asked.  
  
"I thought I put an open can of Pepsi in here somewhere. Did you see it?" Laddie answered.  
  
"No, I didn't. So, what are you up to tonight?"  
  
Laddie let out a 'ha!' and triumphantly pulled a can of soda from where it was lodged in the very back of the fridge. He closed the door and leaned against it. "Uh, Alex told me about a party on the dunes. I'm gonna check it out."  
  
"Oh, will there be any drugs?"  
  
Laddie rolled his eyes at the question and heaved a long and exaggerated sigh. "Yeah Mom, I can't wait to shoot up all that heroin. Seriously, did I ever do anything anyway?" he asked, ignoring the fact that she had indeed caught him smoking pot a couple of years ago.   
  
Lucy decided not to bring up that incident. "Well, it's only a mother's concern. You've been having some problems lately and I don't thinks drugs and alcohol will help with solving them."  
  
"Okay, okay...I won't get high or drunk tonight. I promise, Scout's honor," he replied, a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, sorry Mom, but I better go."  
  
"All right, but honey?"  
  
Laddie stopped at the door. "Yeah?"  
  
"You were never a Boy Scout."  
  
"I know!" he shouted and trotted out to his bike.   
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Laddie drove his bike onto the beach and parked it a few feet from the location of the party. As he neared the spot he saw a raging bonfire and people milling around it, some dancing to the loud heavy metal that was blasting from a portable stereo on the ground. Alex noticed him walking up and waved him over. "Hey, Laddie, you made it!" he said loudly, a bottle of beer held loosely in one hand.  
  
"Of course I did! I needed to get out for a while!" Laddie answered just as loudly. "So, this party any good?"  
  
"As good as these things can be. I think prob'ly my *mom* partied here when she was a kid," Alex said with a laugh.  
  
"Yeah probably," Laddie answered. "So, where's Char?"  
  
"What's with you and Char? Ah, whatever," Alex replied. "She's over there with some other chicks. I think she wanted to see you."  
  
Laddie squinted through the light fog that had settled on the beach in the direction Alex pointed and spotted the girl in a loose but short black dress. "Cool, I'm gonna go see her. Later, man."  
  
"'Kay, later."  
  
Laddie walked over to where Charlotte was standing and tapped her on the shoulder. "Uh, Alex said you wanted to see me?" he asked.  
  
Charlotte turned to her friends, silently telling them that she needed to be alone with her right now on-again boyfriend. "Yeah, I did. I just wanted to ummm...tell you how much I really care about you." she said quietly as they walked to a more secluded spot.  
  
"I know, Char, I care about you too. Was that really all you wanted to tell me?"   
  
She bit her bottom lip and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "No, there's more. It's...Laddie, I can't do this anymore."  
  
Laddie furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her in confusion. "Do what?" he asked.  
  
"*This*, Laddie. This on and off shit. I want to...no, I *need* to know what you want from me. Do you want this relationship to stick once and for all?" she asked, a plaintive tone in her voice.  
  
"God, Charlotte, you're asking me this now?" he questioned, anger creeping slightly into his voice.  
  
"Yeah, now. Is that a problem?"  
  
"Yeah, it is. You have to know what's going on in my life right now. Why would you throw something else on top of it?"  
  
To Laddie's surprise Charlotte rolled her eyes and snorted. "Your *choice*, you mean? God, I've never heard of something so blown out of proportion before. Like it's life or death or something."  
  
"Well, you know what? It *is*. I have to choose whether or not to give up my whole life for a totally different one. What's your most difficult choice? What color to dye your hair next?" he snarled.  
  
"Oh, that's great. What was I thinking, wanting to be with an asshole like you? Well fuck you, Laddie Emerson! You can do whatever the hell you want!" Charlotte yelled as she stomped away from him.  
  
"Damn it! Char, wait! Come on, Char, we can't end it like this! *Fuck*!" he exclaimed and started to run after her when a hand lightly placed on his shoulder stopped him.  
  
He almost swatted the hand hard until he recognized who it must belong to. "Annabelle, now is not the greatest time," he said, very irritated.  
  
"Actually, I would think now is the best time. Care to talk?" she asked, stepping around him and beginning to make her way to the party.  
  
Laddie quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm as she reached the edge of the crowd. "All right, all right, so we'll talk. What's on your mind, Anna?"  
  
She smiled up at him slyly ('I can't believe he's taller than I am now' she thought) and pried his fingers off of her arm. "How about we walk as we talk? I haven't been to a good bonfire in *years*," she added, her grey eyes sparkling with slight mischief.  
  
Laddie couldn't help but grin and they both laughed. "Okay, let's walk," he said and they began to weave their way through the crowd.  
  
"So what happened?" Annabelle asked, slipping her arm around his and holding onto it lightly.  
  
"She wanted me to decide "our" future," he said, quoting with the fingers of his free hand at the word 'our'.  
  
"What's wrong with that?"   
  
"Well, her timing su...uh, stinks," he replied, catching himself. He'd never even used that word around Anna before.  
  
Annabelle couldn't help but smile at his correction. "Laddie, I think I'm quite old enough to hear *any* word."  
  
"Yeah, I know. But you're *Anna*. It just feels weird."  
  
"Well it's nice to know that you think so highly of me," she said and squeezed his arm. "But back to my question. What is *really* wrong with that?"  
  
"Really? It's that she thinks so little of what I'm going through. It's like it doesn't matter to her so why should she care?"  
  
"But you still want to be with her," Annabelle stated plainly.  
  
Laddie stopped walking and ran his hand through his hair. "I wouldn't try to hide it from you, Anna. Yeah, I do. I don't know if I can say I *love* her, but I do care about her a lot."  
  
"Is she your safety net? Your excuse? Or do you actually *need* her...like I need David?" she asked, quietly slipping David into the conversation.  
  
That wasn't lost on Laddie but knew they had to talk about him and the Pack. "When it comes down to it...no. I don't need her like you need him. But it's a totally different thing! He's your *mate* for god's sake!"  
  
"That's true, but I would still love him fiercely if he weren't. I loved him even before he claimed me," she pointed out.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why did I love him?" she continued at Laddie's nod. "For many reasons. He cared for me, watched out for me. His passion, his love for the Pack and how genuinely he hurt for them. Of course, there is the physical aspect. And he's one great kisser," she added with a smile.  
  
Laddie was silent for awhile. Then a question he hadn't given much thought to suddenly sprang to him. "Can I ask you something, Anna?"  
  
"Anything, kid."  
  
"What will happen if I don't join the Pack?" he asked.  
  
Annabelle sucked in an unneeded breath and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them she looked up at him and said firmly, "We will accept your decision and move on for good. You won't see us again."  
  
"You mean you'll leave Santa Carla permanently? Because of me?"  
  
"I don't think we could stand it. To be so close and yet so far to someone so important to us would be too painful. You can understand that, can't you?"  
  
"I guess so. I mean, yeah, I can. You guys are important to me, too. I don't know if I can lose you again," he said and suddenly he found himself beginning to choke up.  
  
"Oh, Laddie sweetheart," Annabelle murmured and put her hands on his shoulders, pulling him into a comforting hug. "Everything will be all right, you'll see. Everything will work out just fine."  
  
Laddie pulled away from her and gave her a shaky smile. "Yeah, I guess it will be. Anna, you know you're the best. You've helped me a lot, you know?"  
  
"Well, just choose whatever makes you the happiest. When it comes down to it, nothing else matters. You'll talk to David soon, won't you?"  
  
"Yeah, real soon. Give it a couple of days, okay?"  
  
"Exactly two days? The day after tomorrow?" she asked persistently.  
  
Laddie laughed and shook his head. "Okay, yeah, the day after tomorrow. I guess he'll know where to find me."  
  
"He always does, hon," she replied and reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you again soon."  
  
"Bye, Anna," he called after her as she disappeared into the fog.  
  
He didn't even notice when a slightly drunk Alex meandered up behind him. "Damn, dude, you sure do rebound fast!" 


	7. Part Seven

Title: A Vampire's Word (Part 7)  
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. Anything else I mentioned in this story are also owned by other people, too. I still own Annabelle, Sela, Alex, Dr. Hansen *and* Charlotte too!   
  
Part 7  
  
Laddie paced nervously near his front door, debating whether or not to go out. He knew he would see David tonight, and he knew it could get ugly. This was really the night. The very night that Annabelle promised him David would come. What could he say to him that he hadn't already heard from the other members of the Pack? He had no doubt that the others reported their entire conversations to their leader and he probably knew exactly how Laddie would react to him. But Laddie really even didn't know how he himself would react, let alone how David would react to the words that would come out of his mouth. He reached into his jeans pocket for a cigarette, but realized that he was still in the house and his mother would definitely respond negatively to smoking in the house. With a sigh he opened the front door and walked down the front steps, sitting on the bottom step. He pulled his pack of cigarettes out and then started to fish in his jacket pockets for a lighter or maybe a book of matches.  
  
"Well, need a light?" an unmistakable voice asked in the darkness.  
  
Laddie jumped slightly and then shook his head, shoving the cigarettes once again back in his pocket. "I'm cool. Why don't you come out where I can see you, ok?"  
  
Then there David was, smiling his usual cocky smile which might or might not have been hiding something. "Are they around?" he asked, meaning Lucy and Grandpa.  
  
"No, they aren't. We don't have to stay here, though," Laddie replied, knowing how David still felt about the house. He got up and brushed the dirt off the back of his jeans.  
  
David just grinned again. "No, here is just fine. It was a long time ago you know, Laddie, and the Pack has been resurrected for around ten years. You are comfortable here, so we will speak here."  
  
Laddie looked at him with confusion in his eyes but finally relented. He turned and crossed the threshold into the house then turned back to David. "Uh, you're invited in," he said.  
  
David walked past Laddie into the house and took in his surroundings, noting the changes that had occurred since he had last been in there. He walked across the living room and sat in a black leather recliner. Laddie rolled his eyes at David's presumptuous behavior and took a seat on the couch next to the chair. "Well this is it, I guess," he started.  
  
"It would seem to be so," David agreed.  
  
"Um...," suddenly Laddie was very nervous in the blond vampire's presence.   
  
"Yes?" David asked with patience. He had no desire to fight with the boy now.   
  
"What have the others told you?"  
  
"Many things. A lot of which made me very confused. What have I ever done to hurt you?" David asked calmly and without much emotion.  
  
Laddie scowled and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive manner. "What have you ever done? Hah, that's a good one, David. You really want to know?"  
  
"Yes, I really want to know."  
  
"How about either ignoring me or glaring and shouting at me, no matter what I did? You do remember that, right?"  
  
David appeared thoughtful, then narrowed his eyebrows and growled lightly. "I remember yelling at you when I thought you were putting yourself in danger. I remember yelling at you not to play on the bikes because you weren't big enough to ride them alone. And yes, I do remember ignoring you, only because Star asked me to leave you alone and let you have the only fun you could have. I did not pay attention to you because if I did I would have to keep you safe, which was and is my duty as Pack leader."  
  
Laddie eyed David skeptically. "So now the way you treated me was Star's fault? That's a bit of a stretch, even for you. You know that I sometimes dream about her? I dream that she's still here with me and I'm young again and she's holding me and comforting me. Then you know what happens?" Laddie had been speaking rapidly and staring off into space. Then he turned and faced David. "You come up behind us and I can't even warn her before you snap her neck and leave me there alone with her body. But you know what the sickest part is? That I don't hate you when the daylight comes and I'm awake and the dream is over. Not even knowing that you killed my Star has made me hate you."  
  
David could do nothing but stare at Laddie in shock. Of everything Laddie could have possibly said, nothing could have prepared him for this confession. He had never known that Laddie still thought of Star, she was never spoken of after the night Annabelle usurped her body. He knew that Laddie knew nothing of that. "Laddie, why tell me this now? What has this got to do with our present situation?"  
  
"You blaming Star for your actions is not the best way to talk things out with me, you know? She cared for me for a few very long months, and I loved her like I would an older sister. Just please leave her out of this."  
  
"All right, Laddie, as you wish. I only brought her up to tell you why I didn't pay attention to you. That doesn't mean I forgot your existence or was trying to forget about you. I was simply honoring the wishes of the woman that I thought knew what was best for you. I knew and still know nothing about children," David replied. But how would he get Laddie to see that he belonged in the Pack?   
  
Laddie still did not understand. "But you're Pack leader. If you were trying to keep me safe from dangerous things, why would Star tell you not to?" he asked.  
  
"Because she felt that your life was so dark that you should be able to do the dangerous but fun things you wanted to do. Eventually I agreed with her but with an extreme amount of apprehension."  
  
"And the others? What did they say?"  
  
"That I was blinded by love," David said with a wry grin. "And maybe that wasn't so far from the truth. I *did* love Star for a time, especially in the beginning. I would have done anything for her. I was so sure she was my mate. I suppose I never really knew what that meant. Until Annabelle appeared, that is."  
  
"But if you thought she was supposed to be your mate, why didn't you claim her? What stopped you?"  
  
"She did. She told me she could never be my mate, she resisted me too much. She blocked me and detached herself from me in a way that Annabelle never did. Laddie, you have no idea how much I was hurt by that. I grew to have an enormous amount of animosity for her, though now that I look back on it 'hate' would be too strong of a word. I was bitter, very bitter," David explained with an amount of resignation in his voice. He had never intended to "spill his guts" about Star quite like he had just done.  
  
"And you never tried to hurt her?" asked Laddie incredulously.  
  
"Emotionally, yes. I did play games with her more than a few times. But I never, never physically hurt her. Physical punishment is only for the severest of crimes within your Pack, and she had really committed no such crime. Her true crime was when she betrayed her family and allowed us to go to our doom."  
  
Laddie snorted in disbelief. "What could she have done? And if she is considered to have betrayed you, why not me?"  
  
"Because *you* were a child, and totally dependent on her. We knew that it had not been your choice to leave us, but even if you had chosen such a thing, we would not have deigned it necessary to carry out a harsh punishment. What we intended to do that night was not only kill them, but to take you home."  
  
"And you? You want me to be a part of your Pack?" Laddie asked plainly, leaning forward slightly. He needed to know the answer to the most important question.  
  
David responded by putting his hand on Laddie's shoulder and looking dead straight into his eyes. "Laddie," he began. "You are Pack! This is what we have been drilling into your head since you were ten years old. Why have you chosen to forget this now? But since you need to hear this, yes. Yes I want you as a Pack brother. I want you to be of our blood again. In order for our Pack to be complete, you must be in it. There is no other way," David stated flatly.  
  
"David...I need to think. You'll know my answer by tomorrow evening. I promise," Laddie said with some unease. He wasn't sure what David would do now.  
  
But David just frowned slightly. "All right Laddie, I suppose I'll have to accept that. Tomorrow evening, though, no later," his tone had a slightly threatening edge to it, but Laddie just ignored it.  
  
"Even ex-vampires can be bound by their word," Laddie replied, trying to lighten the mood. David responded with a gentle smile.  
  
As David moved toward the front door it suddenly swung open and there stood Lucy and Grandpa with appalled expressions on both of their faces. "Laddie! Are you all right? What happened?" Lucy exclaimed in fright.  
  
Laddie appeared from behind David. "Mom, I'm fine. Nothing happened, we had to talk is all."  
  
"And you let him into *our* home? What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how dangerous a move that was?" Lucy demanded angrily.  
  
"There was no danger at all, Mom," Laddie said, and before he could stop himself he continued to speak. "I trust David."  
  
Those three little words seemed like magic. All of a sudden Laddie knew that, yes, they were true. He actually trusted David. And in that instant he also knew that his relationship with Lucy might be forever changed. She had heard the words. She knew the truth behind them, too. "You trust him," Lucy stated softly. "How could you? After everything that we have been through, how could you?" It was more of an accusation than a question.  
  
David was about to speak when Laddie glanced at him and just shook his head. David for once decided not to interfere.  
  
"I don't know, Mom. I don't know how I can trust the one that killed people I cared deeply about. If I have to admit it to myself, though, it's blood. I still have their blood, *his* blood inside of me. Just because it has been so diluted that I can hardly feel them anymore doesn't mean it isn't there just the same," he tried to explain.  
  
"So is that your decision then. You're going to leave us?" asked Grandpa who until then had kept silent.  
  
"I don't know! I don't know what's right anymore! I just...I just need to think, please? I need to think," Laddie pleaded with the three most important people in his life.  
  
David answered, "I understand, Laddie. You will know where to find us when you need us. But just remember, tomorrow night."  
  
With that he was gone.  
  
Lucy wiped her eyes and stepped close to Laddie, enveloping him in a loving hug. "I can only imagine how hard this must be for you. I wish that I could help you, take this burden away from you," she said when she pulled away from him.  
  
"I know, Mom, and I wish you could too," Laddie answered and, after hugging Grandpa, he trudged up the stairs.   
  
Even though it was still very early, Laddie was in no mood to see anyone. He pulled off his boots and crawled under the covers, falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.  
  
----------------------  
  
The next evening Laddie decided to make one short stop before visiting the Pack and giving them his final decision. He left a note on the kitchen table for Lucy to read, because she had told him that she did not want to know either way until it was done, either way. She did not want to imagine him drinking the blood or going through the change. It would hurt too much.  
  
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He pulled up Alex's driveway and jumped off his bike. He rang the doorbell and smiled when Alex opened the door. "Laddie what are you doing here, man?" Alex asked and stepped aside to allow Laddie to enter.  
  
Laddie shook his head. "Nah, man, I can't come in. I have to be somewhere."  
  
"Where? Oh wait, let me guess...you're going to see those friends of yours, right?"  
  
"Actually, yeah, I am. It's pretty important."  
  
"So how come you're here and not there?" asked Alex.  
  
"I needed to ask you something. And this is serious, okay?"  
  
Alex frowned in confusion. "Okay, sure. What do you need?"  
  
"If anything happens to me, you need to look after my mom for me," Laddie said very seriously.  
  
"Happen to you? Dude, what the fuck is going on here? Why would something happen to you?"  
  
"Alex just please let her know that I care about her and I'll always love her and that she was a great mom. Please, Alex, please," Laddie nearly begged.   
  
"Ok, Laddie. I promise that I'll make sure she's okay," Alex said. "Are you going to be okay?"  
  
"I don't know. I really don't know."  
  
"Well, Laddie, just take care of yourself. Don't do anything unless you know it's right."  
  
Alex gave Laddie a quick and embarrassed hug and watched with a somber expression as his friend departed into the night.  
  
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Laddie allowed himself a carefree moment as his motorcycle roared along the Boardwalk. As he neared the steps down to the beach his stomach did a flip-flop with nervousness. But something happened. As he bike clunked down the steps, something he'd done many times before, he lost control. The bike spun out and his pant leg got caught in the front wheel. It slid down, pulling him along, dragging him hard on the rough steps. When the bike finally came to rest, Laddie was unconscious and bleeding heavily. His blood stained the sand around him deep and red. 


	8. Part Eight

Title: A Vampire's Word (Part 8)  
Author: Love In Vein  
Summary: The sequel to David's Revenge. Laddie is heartbroken after the Pack leaves Santa Carla. When they return, will they find themselves no longer welcome in his life?   
Disclaimer: As we all know, the WB owns The Lost Boys and all of the characters therein. Anything else I mentioned in this story are also owned by other people, too. I still own Annabelle, Sela, Alex, Dr. Hansen *and* Charlotte too!   
  
Part 8  
  
They felt it as soon as he went down. A roar was ripped from their collective throats, the males dropping from their sleeping place and flying into the main room where the women already sat, their eyes wide with fright. "Laddie, Laddie!" Annabelle gasped out, his pain pounding in her head.  
  
"Our connection is stronger than we had all thought. We must find him. He will not die!" David growled.  
  
"He must be close, we'll take flight," said Paul, already starting towards the cave's entrance.  
  
David put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "*I* will find him. I will bring him here."  
  
Paul nodded quickly and snapped, "Then *go* already! Just *go*!"  
  
David didn't answer and flew out of the cave before anyone could say anything more.  
  
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Laddie was floating in the weightlessness, thinking of nothing but the beauty of *being*. There was no white light, no harp music, and no ethereal voices. Maybe then he wasn't dead after all. Then where was he? It was then that he heard a voice, sharp, deep, and most surprising of all, scared.   
  
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It didn't take David long to find Laddie, and when he did he didn't feel any relief or happiness. Instead he felt a cold panic descend over him when he took in the strong scent of Laddie's blood and the stillness of his body. "Laddie, Laddie! Come on, boy, answer me!" he shouted as he landed next to the broken boy.  
  
Laddie did not answer with words, but David felt his breathing and that was good enough for him. He gently gathered Laddie into his arms, ignoring the groans of protest that were issued from the boy's mouth.  
  
The flight back to the cave was, for David, a solemn journey. He could feel Laddie's faintly beating heart, which gave him a great deal of hope. His thoughts, however, were darker. If Laddie were to be lost, it would be a great blow to the Pack. He could not imagine how long it would take for them, especially Paul, to get over it if they ever even would. Perhaps vampires were not supposed to be able to feel guilt, but over the death of a supposed-to-be Pack member's death they would be. Just the knowledge that he was on his way to see them hurt enough, as if they themselves had caused his accident. 'Well,' David thought with resolve. 'He will *not* die. Not now, and not ever.'  
  
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When David entered the cave, the rest of the Pack immediately clustered around him. He pushed them away gently and lowered Laddie onto one of the couches in the main room. "David, can we save him?" asked Marco quietly.  
  
"Of course! We *will* save him. There is no other way," Paul snarled, cutting in before David could say anything.  
  
"Paul is right, there is no other way," David said.  
  
"But did he want to be one of us?" Annabelle asked with concern. If Laddie didn't want to be one of them, she didn't want them to change him against his will.  
  
"Belle, it doesn't matter anymore. He will not survive if we do not give him our blood," said David impatiently. "Marco, the bottle."  
  
Marco jumped up to get the bottle and Sela moved in to kneel next to Laddie. She gently ran her fingers along his arms and legs, looking for broken bones. "We have to set this bone before he is turned, otherwise it will heal wrong," she said, laying her hand on the leg that had gotten caught with the wheel. It was cleanly broken.  
  
"Then do it," snapped David. Time was running very short.  
  
"Laddie, this will hurt a lot but I must do this. Do you understand?" Sela asked.  
  
She received no real reply but went to work anyway. She firmly grasped the leg and twisted hard until she felt the bones align. Dwayne came up behind her with a wooden 2x4 and she placed it under the newly set bones and wrapped them both with rags ripped from one of Paul's shirts.  
  
Marco handed David the bottle and he uncorked it reverently. "There is no turning back now," he murmured to no one in particular.  
  
David lifted Laddie's head up slightly and tilted the bottle to his lips. The dark red liquid began to slide down his throat but there was no reaction visible. Then his eyes opened and stared into David's with a mixture of fright and surprise but there was no anger there, to David's relief. He continued to drink from the bottle as David held it there for him, the pain in his leg quickly becoming excruciating. The rest of the Pack watched with palpable relief as the cuts visible on Laddie's arms and legs began to heal themselves and the bruises beginning to fade and disappear. His leg would take more to heal, as well would any internal injuries he may have had, but they too would heal completely in a short time.  
  
When the bottle had been emptied they sat in silence for a few long moments, waiting for Laddie to say something, *anything*. Finally Laddie took a short breath and whispered, "Why?"  
  
"We weren't going to lose you Laddie, no matter what. Did we do the right thing?" asked Annabelle, in spite of the growl that question got from David.   
  
"Yeah, you did. After everything, I knew that I wanted to be Pack," Laddie said quietly, his voice becoming stronger with each word.  
  
"You are, and you always will be. Our promise has been kept," David replied, a hint of affection clearly apparent in his voice.  
  
"I don't think I've ever told you all together how much you mean to me, have I?" Laddie asked, struggling to sit up.  
  
Paul helped to prop Laddie up with a pillow and just shook his head. "Dude, you never had to. We're *family*, remember?"  
  
"You've never let me forget," Laddie replied with a laugh and the Pack laughed with him.  
  
Because really, all Laddie had ever wanted and needed was the promise of his Pack and the acceptance of this family.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~~ The End ~~ If you like this story read my new one Fangs, Leather, Love about Sela! 


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